This invention relates to tripods. More particularly, this invention relates to tripods used for supporting telescopes having a base.
Tripods for use in holding telescopes and other structures are known in the art. Reference is made, e.g., to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,614,918; 4,470,672; 5,865,406; 4,317,552; 4,455,005; 4,832,296; and 5,760,748.
A drawback associated with conventional tripods is the necessity to build the tripod into the base of the telescope (or other structure), wherein the tops of the three legs are connected to the base at 120xc2x0 intervals, requiring a separate fastener at each of the intervals. Such tripod/telescope assemblies can be cumbersome and difficult to carry.
Alternatively, the tripod/telescope structure could be disassembled at an original site, separately carried to a new site, and then reassembled. However, this approach can be time-consuming because three fasteners would have to be unscrewed to remove the telescope base from the tripod and then re-screwed at the new site.
Another approach that might be used with telescopes containing a fork in addition to the base and the optical tube is to separate the fork/tube structure from the tripod/base structure and separately carried these components to a new site. However, this approach would not be acceptable for some newer models of telescopes which contain the controls in the fork member. With such telescopes, it is undesirable to remove the base from the fork.
Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide a tripod/telescope assembly which is easier to move from one site to another site.
A further object of this invention is to provide a tripod/telescope assembly which is easier to disassemble and then re-assemble.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a tripod/telescope assembly wherein the tube/fork/base structure is completely separable from the tripod structure.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved tripod structure which can be combined with a telescope to form a tripod/telescope assembly satisfiing the foregoing objects. These and other objects are accomplished in the present invention.
According to one aspect thereof, the present invention provides a tripod/telescope assembly wherein the tripod structure and the tube/fork/base structure are completely separable from one another and, further, are relatively simple to disassemble and re-assemble. The tripod/telescope of this invention includes:
(A) a telescope having a base, a fork mounted on the base (wherein the fork most preferably contains the telescope""s controls), and an optical tube mounted on the fork;
(B) a tripod containing:
a tripod head having a central opening formed therein,
three legs pivotally mounted on the tripod head, and
a hand knob attached to the tripod head and disposed within the central opening, the hand knob having a single fastener therein, the single fastener being releasably attached to the base of the telescope, thereby connecting the tripod to the telescope to form the tripod/telescope assembly.
A second aspect of this invention is directed to a tripod containing:
a tripod head having a central opening formed therein,
three legs pivotally mounted on the tripod head,
a hand knob attached to the tripod head and disposed within the central opening, the hand knob having a single fastener therein, the single fastener being adapted for attachment to the base of the telescope; and, optionally,
a brace member which is attached to each of the legs so as to provide additional stability to the tripod.
In the present invention, having the tripod built into the hand knob allows the base-fork-tube structure of the telescope to be completely separable from the tripod. In addition, having the hand knob contain a single fasteners makes it simpler and faster to disassemble the tripod/telescope assembly, carry the tripod and telescope separately to a new site, and then re-assemble the tripod/telescope assembly.